.TH std::filesystem::read_symlink 3 "2024.06.10" "http://cppreference.com" "C++ Standard Libary"
.SH NAME
std::filesystem::read_symlink \- std::filesystem::read_symlink

.SH Synopsis
   Defined in header <filesystem>
   std::filesystem::path read_symlink( const std::filesystem::path& p \fB(1)\fP \fI(since C++17)\fP
   );
   std::filesystem::path read_symlink( const std::filesystem::path&
   p,                                                                 \fB(2)\fP \fI(since C++17)\fP
                                       std::error_code& ec );

   If the path p refers to a symbolic link, returns a new path object which refers to
   the target of that symbolic link.

   It is an error if p does not refer to a symbolic link.

   The non-throwing overload returns an empty path on errors.

.SH Parameters

   p  - path to a symlink
   ec - out-parameter for error reporting in the non-throwing overload

.SH Return value

   The target of the symlink (which may not necessarily exist).

.SH Exceptions

   Any overload not marked noexcept may throw std::bad_alloc if memory allocation
   fails.

   1) Throws std::filesystem::filesystem_error on underlying OS API errors, constructed
   with p as the first path argument and the OS error code as the error code argument.
   2) Sets a std::error_code& parameter to the OS API error code if an OS API call
   fails, and executes ec.clear() if no errors occur.

.SH Example


// Run this code

 #include <filesystem>
 #include <iostream>

 namespace fs = std::filesystem;

 int main()
 {
     for (fs::path p : {"/usr/bin/gcc", "/bin/cat", "/bin/mouse"})
     {
         std::cout << p;
         fs::exists(p) ?
             fs::is_symlink(p) ?
                 std::cout << " -> " << fs::read_symlink(p) << '\\n' :
                 std::cout << " exists but it is not a symlink\\n" :
             std::cout << " does not exist\\n";
     }
 }

.SH Possible output:

 "/usr/bin/gcc" -> "gcc-5"
 "/bin/cat" exists but it is not a symlink
 "/bin/mouse" does not exist

.SH See also

   is_symlink               checks whether the argument refers to a symbolic link
   \fI(C++17)\fP                  \fI(function)\fP
   create_symlink
   create_directory_symlink creates a symbolic link
   \fI(C++17)\fP                  \fI(function)\fP
   \fI(C++17)\fP
   copy_symlink             copies a symbolic link
   \fI(C++17)\fP                  \fI(function)\fP
   status                   determines file attributes
   symlink_status           determines file attributes, checking the symlink target
   \fI(C++17)\fP                  \fI(function)\fP
   \fI(C++17)\fP
